By Alan Carasso
With the Longines Hong Kong International Races meeting now just a week away, it was a fairly low-key program Sunday at Sha Tin, with just three races on the turf. But one of those was a Class 3 up the 1000m straight course in which Hot King Prawn (Aus) (Denman {Aus}) ran his record to a perfect four-from-four with a bloodless 2 1/4-length victory as the 1.40 (2-5) favourite.
Drawn 14 on the stands' side rails, the diminutive gray hopped away nicely and held his spot at the fence while outsprinted by Encore Boy (Aus) (Smart Missile {Aus}) through the first half of the race. But Zac Purton gave his mount the slightest bit of rein entering the final 400m and Hot King Prawn took care of the rest, kicking away to score without taking a deep breath (video). The final time was a smart :56.03.
“He was actually better today going flat out the whole way than he is if you sit up on him,” Purton told the Hong Kong Jockey Club's Andrew Hawkins. “I was surprised that Encore Boy served it up to me as much as he did, but all it did was that it showed my fellow has more left in the tank. He had to keep rolling early to maintain his position and he was getting crowded for room, but once Encore Boy dropped off, he just picked the bit up and surged and clicked himself into another gear.”
Though the valuable Griffin Trophy (1400m) is there for the taking in three weeks' time, Hot King Prawn is more likely to get a break with an eye on the final couple months of the season.
“I think he'd probably win the Griffin Trophy, but I'm not going to go against my usual training patterns just to win one race,” Size said. “I'm a bit too conservative for that. There's no point extending him out in distance just because the race is there.”
Hot King Prawn is untried past the straight five furlongs, but Purton believes at least a slightly longer trip is well within his scope.
“He's such a relaxed horse that I don't think the 1200m is going to be a problem,” the Australian rider said. “John's a master at picking out the right race, so I'll leave the race planning up to him.”
A gelded son of De Chorus (Aus) (Unbridled's Song) and A$90,000 graduate of the 2016 Inglis Sydney Classic Yearling Sale, Hot King Prawn is a half-brother to SP Siren's Fury (Aus) (Myboycharlie {Ire}). The dam of the unraced 2-year-old filly The Soloist (Aus) (Smart Missile {Aus}), De Chorus foaled a colt by Your Song (Aus) in 2016 and a filly by The Factor this breeding season.
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